BATON ROUGE - Three candidates are on the November ballot to be District 2's Public Service Commission's new leader.

Republicans Julie Quinn and Jean-Paul Coussan, as well as Democrat Nick Laborde all say their goal is to make sure energy is affordable and reliable for residents. 

The position is currently represented by Craig Greene, who is not running for reelection.

In the capital area, District 2 represents West Feliciana, East Feliciana, Point Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes, as well as parts of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston and Assumption parishes.

Laborde says his family has always been devoted to public service and it's something he wants to continue.

His father was the mayor of Marksville and Laborde himself is a tech entrepreneur, consultant and project manager. He admitted, that although he has the least amount of political experience, he has two big things he wants to see done. 

"Bringing back one-to-one net metering if you generate a kilowatt hour from solar you should be credited back a kilowatt not the 30% that they are doing now; I also want to bring prison phone call rates down," Laborde said.

He believes the rate being brought down would help people not only be able to afford to get in contact with their residents but also allow a smoother transition when a prisoner is released. 

Quinn is a former state senator and current Jefferson Parish School Board Member and said that if she is elected, she would like to whether the commission can regulate cable companies while keeping electricity affordable.

"I don't want consumers to choose between medicine and their power bill," Quinn said. "I am really tired of them being unregulated I don't think it works I think we all can attest we all had our own experiences whether you sit on hold or your cable goes out. There is no responsibility, whether they claim you didn't return the equipment when you did."

Coussan, a current state senator, said he has passed bills in support of oil and gas industries, giving him experience when dealing with energy policies.

"When the solar industry started moving to Louisiana I filed a bill to make sure we were on the same page with how they were going to utilize our natural resources and from the PSC standpoint I will be working with them again to make sure they are a good neighbor and a corporate citizen in the state of Louisiana," Coussan said. 

Coussan plans to bring a new voice to the commission while respecting the service Greene left.

"I am going to be coming at a perspective of our natural gas capabilities and production in Louisiana to make so our energy prices stay low our jobs are protected, and we can provide cheap affordable domestic energy," Coussan said. 

The election for District 2's Public Service Commissioner, as well as other national and local offices, is Nov. 5. Monday is the final day to register in-person or by mail to vote in the election, but voters have until Oct. 15 to do so on the Secretary of State's website.